Gemm's Dyslexia Program

A dyslexia diagnosis can be overwhelming.  But it does not have to be a life sentence. The underlying cognitive skills required for reading can be trained and strengthened with exercise. The window to learning how to read efficiently and effortlessly is open at any age, for children and adults.

How Gemm Learning Helps Dyslexia

In the overwhelming majority of cases dyslexia is a language problem. Dyslexics switch |b| and |d| because they hear them the same. Gemm provides dyslexia help using Fast ForWord, a software program that works on how the brain processes language. By "cleaning up" word memory, Gemm is able to create a path to effortless, and even enjoyable, reading. Our students primarily work at home with Gemm professional oversight and direction.

How It Works

Fast ForWord helps the brain hear the sounds inside words -- phonemes -- with the accuracy required for reading by speeding up auditory processing. It also strengthens the working memory skills required to retain what is read. The program isolates and strengthens these fundamental cognitive skills using adaptive exercises that build speed and complexity in tiny, incremental steps.

More efficient auditory processing creates the ability to hear the individual sounds inside words more clearly.  This improved listening accuracy improves word memory integrity and makes it easier for the brain to make automatic matches to the text when decoding, thereby making reading less exhausting, and a lot faster.
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Once a cognitive foundation is in place, Gemm's individualized protocol aims to rebuild a student's reading  mechanics. Bad habits are eradicated and the fundamentals of spelling, language structure and vocabulary are revisited as needed.

Our goals are reading fluency, reading comprehension and finally, reading with metacognition.  This is the ability to read and think about what you are reading and self-correct as you go. This critical skills cannot even begin to develop until reading is automatic.
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Reading With Automaticity

If the brain is listening more accurately, decoding will be more automatic.  If decoding is automatic reading is less exhausting and thinking resources can be devoted to comprehension.  Hence better reading comprehension, less re-reading and more reading enjoyment.  It's a virtuous cycle once you are on it!

To find out if we can help your child complete this online questionnaire. We will follow up in a day or so with a recommendation.

Most Common Cause of Dyslexia

Dyslexia problems most often stem from difficulty processing sound, called an auditory processing disorder or CAPD. This is sometimes evident in early language skills, but just as often is not.  Hearing "cat" as one sound for spoken language is much easier than hearing it as three sounds |c|-|a|-|t| as is required for reading.

If a child cannot clearly process these individual sounds inside words -- the phonemes -- then reading is going to be a challenge.   In later grades, this difficulty morphs into an inefficient reading style that is exhausting and diverts brain capacity needed for reading comprehension.
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